I have bunch of expensive used clothing to sell and I know a guy who is a high ranked seller on ebay and Amazon. I asked him over the phone whether he can sell them for me for a fee if I ship them to him. He said he can. I really trust this guy but technically if he ever decides to run away with them there is nothing I can do. I think I need to get some sort of a written guarantee of payment but I am really hesitant to do so because it would look like I am suspecting him. What should I do? Is there a polite way to ask for this?
A contract, as has already been mentioned, but be sure to address all terms. Are you selling him the clothes or is it a consignment situation? You then need to determine either the price, if a sale, or the split of proceeds if it is a consignment. What price are you authorizing him to sell them, $5 per, $25, $100? Can you request their return if he hasn’t sold them, and at what point? Who pays to ship the items each way? Risk of loss, during shipment there, during consignment, during possible return shipping?
It is essential to determine every possible outcome that you can imagine.